The Montisi Italian Film Festival 2014 invites film lovers and Italophiles to immerse themselves in Italian culture – village style. Montisi is a friendly Tuscan hill town that loves cinema. This year’s festival offers 16 films from classics to just-released new works – all shown in the cinema of a medieval Tuscan hill town, and all subtitled in English.
Montisi is a small village southeast of Siena in Tuscany, about 45 minutes’ drive through the hills. It has always been a lively place and is home to one of the original cinemas in central Italy. In the early Golden Age of Italian film production, when travelling ‘picture shows’ would bring films to even the smallest of villages, Montisi was an active hub for regular screenings. The village cinema was built in the 1950s and has remained, to this day, a centrepoint of village life. For many years after WWII the only cinemas between Florence and Rome were situated in Siena, Arezzo and Montisi.
Montisi is also locally famous for its festivals, notably the Giostra di Simone (jousting) in early August and the Festival of the New Oil in early November, both lasting a week. The jousting festival features meals cooked by the villagers (members from the 4 districts) served up at 4 long tables stretching down the village streets, a medieval parade, street music, and, of course, the actual jousting. The olive oil festival celebrates the new oil, honey, cheeses, artisan crafts and, once again, street dining. Therefore, when the idea of hosting a film festival was raised, the response in favour of the event was extremely enthusiastic. The Film Festival was created to celebrate a greatly loved culture in Italy -the world of cinema -and to encourage like-minded people to fall in love with Montisi.
Montisi is home to a 100 seat cinema, including new Dolby surround sound. The co-director of the Film Festival is a technology and cinema projection expert who lives in the village.
We invite Italian film buffs from Italy, the US and all over Europe to come to Montisi to enjoy the programme of classic and new films, in the small cinema in the middle of the medieval village. This year, 16 films will be shown. The Festival will blend the enjoyment of cinema with the enjoyment of the wine, food, culture and countryside of Tuscany. This year we are also offering “Cinema Intensivo” – a two day, non-stop showing of 14 of the festival films. For true film buffs, Saturday the 10th and Sunday the 11th will combine hard to find classics with some of the newest releases.
The grand opening, on May 3, 2014, sees screenings at 3 pm and 5:30pm, so that guests may enjoy a glass of wine and dinner in one of the village’s 5 restaurants. On Sunday, a children’s film, including a snack, will be shown at 10 am. The rest of the festival will feature films at 6 pm and 9pm, with a special surprise late-night film on Thursday. Evening screenings allow travellers to this area to organise day trips throughout the region and still have time to relax at the cinema when they return. Siena is a 45 minute drive away, Florence 1 ½ hours and Rome 2 1/2 hours. The region is home to an abudance of fascinating art, architecture and a rich history. The website has a complete listing of sights of interest and museums.
Montisi can cater, within the village, for 110 visitors in guest houses and hotels. Another 150 guests can be accommodated within a 4 km radius, in the other small villages of Castelmuzio, Trequanda, Petroio and San Giovanni d’Asso. From basic flats to a 4 star boutique hotel, and everything in between, everyone will find something to suit. There are 17 family run restaurants within these villages. Licensed guides are available to book for tours of local wineries, abbeys and the major hilltop towns of Montepulciano and Montalcino (famous for vino nobile and brunello).
Visit the website, www.montisifilmfestival.org, for more information about finding accommodation and everything else needed to plan a trip easily.
